Brush Blending With Ink Pads

Happy Monday, Crafty Friends!

I'm kicking off the start of a brand new week with Xyron and Clearsnap today.  And I've got a quick and easy technique to share with you that is sure to make your crafting world a whole lot brighter!

Background dies have been gaining popularity. These dies make card making a breeze and with some plain white paper and a few inks you can customize your cardstock with fun results!

Supplies Used

Stephanie Barnard Color Box Premium Dye Ink - Candy, Tangerine, Lemonade, Kiwi, Grape (Clearsnap)

Big Shot (Sizzix)

Stephanie Barnard Thinlits 2pk- Friends (Sizzix)

Precision Chrome Plate (Sizzix)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Mega Runner (Xyron)

110 lb White Cardstock (Recollections)

Glitzy Paper Pad (DCWV)

Brights Brads (Recollections)

I started by running pieces of 4.25" x 5.5" white cardstock through my Xyron Creative Station Lite. I die cut the piece using my Stephanie Bernard Friends Dies twice. Then layered them together.

I pressed some color from my Stephanie Bernard ColorBox Premium Dye Ink Pads onto my work surface. Then used a make-up brush to apply color onto my die cut.

I put a strip of each color down one at a time making each strip about an inch wide, starting dark at the bottom and blending the color light at the top. I repeated this step for each color. Starting with Kiwi, then Lemonade, then Tangerine, next Candy, then lastly, Grape.

I overlapped each color to blend where they meet instead of having a harsh line.

I used the solid background die to die cut a backing for my "worded" background.

I applied brads to the die cut flowers in the background. then peeled the adhesive backer and applied my color die cut onto my glitzy/ glittery cardstock. Then burnished it for maximum adhesion.

Then, I used my Xyron Mega Runner to apply the card front onto a standard A2 (4.25" x 5.5"- folded) card made from white cardstock.

Look how stinkin' cute this is!!

Rainbows are always super fun and always make me happy but the fun doesn't stop there...

I tapped down more color onto my mat and decided to do a triad of colors. 

And instead of putting them in any sort of order I decided to just go nuts a brush on bursts of color here and there... going laying them down totally at random.

Again finished it with coordinating brads and backing it with more glitzy paper...

**Squeal**

I'm on a roll!!

For the next sample, I used just one color... 

This time, I laid it on dark around the perimeter, then dragging and blending in the color in lightly. 

a good makeup brush will blend out softly and look like your color was airbrushed on.

My rule of thumb is... if it can blend on your makeup beautifully, then it'll blend on paper just as beautifully!

For this last sample, again I started dark around the edges but lightened my blending and I went in towards the center. The only difference, I also darkened all the flowers.

These are just crazy easy and the glitzy cardstock gives them a touch of glamour! The bling really makes all the colors just pop even more!

I love how they all turned out! and I love how smoothly the colors blended!

I can't wait to make more!

Hope you liked today's quick project and it inspires you to give it a try!

Until next time...

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

~Mitsyana

Blooming in Spring

Hello Again Crafty Friends!! I'm back with Team Xyron. And I am so please to continue our week's projects collaborating with Teresa Collins!!

When I received these beautiful papers I automatically thought of bright sunny skies and spring. And it just so happened that I had SPRING pictures that desperately needed to be scrapped. When you have 4 kids, it's kind of hard to keep up to date on all the scrapbooking.

I live in Texas and these were taken during the Spring a few years ago when the bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes were in full bloom. I don't ever recall another spring as beautiful as this one. Every year since then we go for a ride to see if "our spot" has bloomed. Sadly it hasn't bloomed like that year since.

Fast forwarding to...now.  those 4 year old pics are now the focal point of my Spring layout!!

Supplies Used

Glam Factor Paper- Herringbone (Teresa Collins)

Glam Factor Paper- Triangles (Teresa Collins)

Nine & Co. Designer Paper Pad (Teresa Collins)

Nine & Co. Ephemera (Teresa Collins)

Teresa Collins Dies- Leaf - Thankful Holiday (Craftwell)

Teresa Collins Die- Best Day Ever- Remember This Project Die Set (Craftwell)

Creative Station Lite (Xyron)

Wink of Stella- Clear

Glossy Accents (Ranger)

This layout came together pretty quickly.  I started with the 12"x12" Teresa Collins' Glam Factor Triangles paper. I used the reverse side which is not triangles but white with tiny black polka dots.

I cut the piece down to a 4.5" x12" strip. Then I ran that strip through the Xyron Creative Station Lite and applied it onto the 12"x12" Herringbone sheet.

I wanted to add some color and interest onto the polka dot strip, so I found these pretty patterned borders from Teresa Collins' Nine & Co. Designer Pad and cut out a few strips. And then die cut the phrase "Best Day Ever" from coral polka dot paper (also in the paper pad). 

Next, I ran the border strips and the phrase through the Xyron Creative Station Lite... Along with Flowers from the Nine & Co. Ephemera pack, and my photos (that I trimmed to 4"x 4"). 

The Creative Sation is a really huge time saver!

Then all I did was peel and stick! Super Easy Peasy!!

 I placed the patterned borders at the top and bottom of the the polka dot panel, adhering the best day ever onto one of the borders.

Then, I attached my photos, giving myself a 1/4" gap from the borders strips.

 I die cut 6 green leaves and 2 gold leaves using the large leaf die from Teresa Collins' Thankful Holiday set.

I applied clear liquid adhesive to just the bottom of the leaves and attached the leaves onto my layout.

 I layered the ephemera over the bottoms of my leaves and added the hearts between the photos. 

I added a little bit of sparkle by brushing the hearts and parts of the flowers with my Wink of Stella pen.

 I balance my page by adding more leaves, ephemera, and a journal tag onto the blank area of my page. 

Then I trimmed off the excess and again brushed my ephemera flowers with my Wink of Stella pen. I love how it add just a subtle shine. It's very pretty without being overpowering.

You can see a little bit of sparkle but these pictures just don't do it justice.

And here is my finished layout...

I am so happy that I finally got to scrap my beautiful daughters pictures. Her facial expressions really captured the moment and I'm so glad these Teresa Collins collections inspired me! And with Xyron's help it came together in a cinch!

I hope you enjoyed today's project! Don't forget to check in with Xyron and the rest of my crafty DT sisters to see what other amazing projects they have in store!!

Until next time...

Happy Crafting!!

~Mitsy

Snowone Like You Bow Card

Hello Crafty Friends... Just stopping this super Simple card I made with all those stinkin' cute bows I've been making.

You can read more about it here. While you're there don't forget to download your free template!! Then you too can make this bows anytime you need them.

For this awesome overlay  and label, I used Designs on Cloud 9's Designer Card 1.  I cut the overlay out of super shiny metallic paper. Then eBrushed an ombre effect onto the entire surface... Love it! 

Now I can have custom colored metallic paper and not just the run of the mill silver & gold! And did you know you can even ebrush your rhinestones to match?! Now you'll never be without coordinating bling!!

For the sentiment, I used Pink and Main's Snow Sweet stamp set. This set includes 8 different sentiments and numerous snowflakes. I stamped it on the label that was included in the Designer Card 1 file and then surrounded it the sentiment with "snow" (iridescent flake glitter) with dimensional adhesive.  Perfect for Holiday and winter cards and projects! 

It's never too early to start on your holiday card!!

So go make some now! The holidays will be here before you know it! 

Happy Crafting!!

Marshmallow Pops

I've been super busy lately... so busy that I hadn't had time to update my blog or even craft very much (oh, no!).So, I'm glad to say I've finally posting treats I made for my daughter's 1st grade class Valentine's Day.

I dipped HUGE marshmallows in chocolate then added sprinkles for a special homemade treat. These were the campfire sized marshmallows.. they are about 3 inches tall and about 2 inches wide. I found these humongous monsters at my local Walmart right next to the little ones. I've been wanting to buy them for a while just for the sheer novelty. I mean these are HUGE!! One marshmallow easily filled the palm of my hand!

I used Design on Cloud 9's Smarty Pants Bears (bear) and Scallops (heart) cutting files to make the toppers.

I made a total of 28. Lucky little girl! I wish I had a mama like me growing up!! LOL

Sorry for posting this one so late... but to make it up I have another project to share...

I haven't done one in a while so I decided to make a scrapbook layout. I used one of Designs on Cloud 9's (of course!) new cutting files called April Showers. I also used their Scallops file for the scalloped square background., The Short Borders 2 for the decorative border below the picture mat, And... for the ribbons for the title I used the ribbon from the Noel Wreath Card file.

Patterned paper is from DCWV's Sky's the Limit Stack. I love this stack! It's filled with glossy & glittery deliciousness!

I  LOVE LOVE LOVE this stack!

The font used is called Bubbleboddy. 

Embossing folder used is an old Quickutz (now Lifestyle Crafts) border embossing folder called Retro Diamonds.

That's all for now crafty friends... Until next time, CRAFT HAPPY!!!